Matthew 3:1-6, Mark 1:1-6, Luke 3:1-6, John 1:19-23 (John the Baptist)

Rachel Workman: I love seeing these side by side. 

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
1 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” The theme here is repentance. Repent and turn to God. We are all in need of repentance. Those that recognize that are the better for it. Lord may I never be so proud that I won’t admit I need you to cover my sin. 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!     Clear the road for him!’” 4 John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. 5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. 6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.	This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.[a] It began 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,     and he will prepare your way. 3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!     Clear the road for him!’[c]”	1 It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler[a] over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler[b] over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, Why are we baptized? To show that we have repented of our sin and turned to God. “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!     Clear the road for him! 5 The valleys will be filled,     and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened,     and the rough places made smooth. 6 And then all people will see     the salvation sent from God.’”	19 This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants[h] from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” 20 He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he replied. “Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”[i] “No.” John was a very humble man. Never taking credit where other man might have been tempted. 22 “Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness,     ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’”

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John Burnett:  Matthew 3:1-6

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:  Among those born of women, there is no one greater than John and John’s message was to,” Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  Repentance is not preached often enough in our churches when the greatest man next to Jesus preached it just like Jesus preached it.

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”^[a]

⁴ John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Mark 1:1-6

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God,^{[b] 2} as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”^[c]—
³ “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”^[d]

⁴ And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  There is no need for Jesus unless you realize you are a sinner and repent of your sins. 

Luke 3:1-6

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ² during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
⁵ Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
⁶ And all people will see God’s salvation.’”^[a]

John 1:19-23

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

¹⁹ Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders^[a] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?” 

He answered, “No.”

²² Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”^[b]

^{John’s purpose was similar to that of the Holy Spirit in that he pointed people toward Jesus and he fulfilled the prophesy of Isaiah.  John’s version here does not mention repentance like the other three and really goes to show how out of touch the priests were when it came to watching for the Messiah.}

^{The Gospel being taught in most of the churches today teaches nothing of repentance or sin.  The word repent and or repentance is used 73 times in the Bible so it is important.  Easy believism is running rampant and Jesus preached in Mark 1:15,”…repent and believe in the gospel.”  Repentance is half of the salvation equation and John the Baptist was sent to teach just that.}

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Krista Cook:  - Matthew and Luke show John preparing the way, teaching and baptizing.  Once the people confessed  and repented of their sins, they were baptized. 

In all 4 accounts, the prophet Isaiah is quoted and we see yet another prophecy being fulfilled - John was to "prepare the way and clear the roads" for the coming of Jesus - the One who would bring salvation.